“Good morning, Nik!” Clarisse chirped, letting out a yawn as she pushed the blankets off of herself and sat upright. “How did you sleep?” she asked right after, glancing at the haphazard way his blankets had been piled up at the bottom of the mattress.

  “–!” Nikolas glanced at his cheery companion, reminded of the script he had chosen to follow. “Good morning, Clarisse. It was nice, though I woke up just as early as usual. Thanks for letting me stay the night.” he lied as naturally as he would have breathed.

  “Of course…” Clarisse stretched her arms upwards, slowly slipping out of bed and walking across the mattress towards the bathroom. She opened the door, before pausing and turning back to pick out a set of clothes from her wardrobe. “Is… Is it okay if I get freshened up first?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at her companion.

  “Go ahead, I’ll take the second turn.”

  Closing the door behind her, Clarisse let out a sigh of relief. Nothing in the room had gone missing from what she could tell from her brief glance through it. She looked at herself in the mirror with skepticism, wondering why her mind went straight to that as a concern. Letting a splash of water wash off her immediate worries, she decided to focus on the day ahead. There was a lot to look forward to, especially now that she had an official party and they could pick up quests together.

  Clarisse was surprised to find that the room was completely organized when she came out, dressed in her adventurer attire. Down to the mattress being folded away and the furniture being replaced in its rightful place, if anyone were to say that they hadn’t been sleeping there just an hour ago, she would have been hard pressed to agree. Even her own bed was set in pristine condition, though there was no occupant visible at the moment. “Nik?” She called out, finding the kitsune’s absence in the room strange.

  “Here!” She heard a reply shortly after from the kitchen, and followed its trail to find the masked fox working at the countertop with his alchemical apparatus.

  “Thanks for cleaning the room. You didn’t have to do all that yourself…” She began, before directing her curiosity at the menagerie of potions he was tending to.

  “It’s alright. I’m used to quickly wrapping up my belongings anyway,” Nikolas shrugged, picking up one of the potions and holding it up to his eyes for inspection, “Weakness potion.” He clarified to her with a glance, taking a whiff off the top to ascertain its odor.

  “Hmm-” Clarisse took a step closer, intending to follow his lead and smell the potion before deciding against it in favor of her health. “What ingredients does it use? Is it easy to make?” she asked, looking over the array of differently colored potions in the kit.

  “Certain fungi – usually found underground – and spider molts,” Nikolas replied, fishing out a tiny bottle made of dirty glass and a velvet pouch from his cloak. Presumably those had both the ingredients, though Clarisse couldn’t tell what held which. “They’re fine to use raw, but powdered molts are better for faster brewing.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be useful against any monsters we find on quests!” the redhead exclaimed, happy to see that he was equipped with a whole arsenal of similar vials. “What are the others?” she prodded further, curiosity practically brimming from her being as she stood by his side.

  Nikolas paused for a moment as he glanced over his potions, “Poison, blindness and slowness.” He said, holding a finger over each of them as he identified them for her. “In short, try to get a few steps away from me if you see me pop any of them from the bandolier.”

  “Whoa…” Clarisse smirked, only further impressed by the skillset her companion sported. “I’ve heard of buff potions like strength and healing being very popular. Seeing their counterparts is pretty cool too.”

  “Yeah, anyone who’s tried to steal them in the middle of combat gets a nasty surprise,” Nikolas admitted, leaning against the countertop and basking in her admiration. “Their effects don’t last for very long, but it’s still useful enough to turn the tides in most cases.”

  “They’re all in glass vials though… what happens if they crack or break?” Clarisse asked, imagining vivid sketches of what it would be like to be slinging potions while fighting. “Wouldn’t they hurt you a lot?”

  “Ha– the potions need a charge of mana to activate and explode like that. Besides, rogues tend to not get hit,” Nikolas let out a laugh, putting a cork on the weakness potion and packing it into the kit with the rest. “It’s a fighting style you should learn. A mage has a lot to gain from that.”

  Clarisse was taken aback by the strategy at first, but reminded herself that he was able to react both fast and precise enough to slice a crossbow bolt in half down in the grotto, a feat far beyond what she was currently capable of. “I guess that does work… Oh, and you can take a bath if you want, I’ll be ready to leave soon.”

  “Sure, thanks,” Nikolas replied, quickly wrapping up his kit but leaving the item on the countertop as he walked past her back to the bedroom. “I hope you don’t mind if I use your soap?” he asked, picking up his backpack and peeking out to her from the doorway. “I tend to use all my pocket space carrying other things as you’ve seen.”

  “No, that’s okay! It’d be tough to clean up without soap-” Clarisse giggled, watching him leave her line of sight before she heard the bathroom door shut. She began repacking her bag as soon as he was gone, eager to head out for the day.

  Junnhaven seemed busier than usual as the two adventurers made their way down the streets towards the guild hall. Salesmen and vendors were aggressively marketing their wares, their impromptu reverse auction on prices causing a hullabaloo between themselves as noisy clangs of products leaked out of the marketplace into the rest of the city. The fervor of shopkeepers had also attracted a large score of adventurers to the scene, both groups haggling for better prices with enough intensity to match the unyielding rays of the merciless overhead sun.

  Trying to survive until they got to the guild, Clarisse seemed positively miffed at their predicament of being caught between both parties voraciously trying to trade as much gear as they could. Looking beside her, her kitsune companion had his ears pressed down against his head, a telltale sign of discomfort despite his wordless willingness to endure the crowd until they reached their destination.

  “High rankers…” Nikolas grumbled under his breath, electing to simply close his eyes and ignore the incessant sales tactics being employed around them as he pushed through the market road. Seeing the world in mana wasn’t particularly better either with the sheer number of souls in the area, but the monochromatic view was at least more digestible for his temper.

  “Sorry, I’m not looking to- No, sorry. Just passing through-” Clarisse kept politely refusing every advance from the vendors as she walked past, but there was only so much politeness to be found within the redhead’s fragile frame. About halfway through she just grabbed Nikolas’s arm and let him lead the way, his imposing foreign figure serving as a much better deterrent than all her good manners. She could feel the steely chill of a contraption wrapped around his forearm as they walked, so she shifted her hand lower to wrap around his palm.

  It was a few minutes until they were finally ejected from the market street, finally finding a semblance of freedom though there was still a steady stream of adventurers headed towards the marketplace. “High rankers…” Nikolas reiterated in a louder, annoyed tone this time, before looking down and noticing that Clarisse had grabbed onto his hand, and glancing at her with a confused blink.

  “What?” Clarisse asked, withdrawing her hand as quickly as her body would allow and looking away. She mentally cursed herself for not having done so the moment they left the crowd, but couldn’t deny it had made her feel safer amidst all the clamor. “Sorry, I couldn’t hear you over the noise. What were you saying?”

  “High rankers, probably gold or higher,” Nikolas elaborated, subtly glancing down at his gloved palm as he continued walking. “They’re prime customers for merchants, so if they’ve taken out all the stops then it’s probably because of some arriving at the guild.”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  True to his word, the guild seemed to house high profile individuals from the kind of crowd that had gathered near the common tables. With gems glimmering so brightly she could’ve mistaken them for individual lights and sporting gleaming weapons and armor, all of which were decorated with the subtle feeling of enchantments, Clarisse gasped when she caught sight of them – an entire party of what seemed to be seasoned adventurers in the middle of the hall with a crowd surrounding them.

  There were four of them in total – Taking centre stage was a short ranger armed to the teeth with various small weaponry, the most prominent of which seemed to be a crossbow sitting on the table in front of him. Accompanying him were a massive, burly armored barbarian with a dashing mustache and beard with his helmet held under his arm, a cloaked but otherwise scantily armored rogue with scaly skin leaning on the handle of a flanged mace with its head resting on the ground which presumably belonged to the barbarian. Finally, the fourth was a glamorously dressed mage with flowing golden hair and red highlights. He was the center of attention among them, with plumes of fire flying out of his fingers as he put on a show for everyone to see.

  “Another pyromancer!” Clarisse exclaimed with eyes filled with wonder, leaving Nikolas’s side and rushing forward into the crowd to watch the proceedings.

  “Hey-!” Nikolas partly extended his arm to try to hold her back, but another movement caught his attention first and he let her go ahead. He looked back, finding Sera poking her head out of his backpack.

  “Morning?” Sera asked, floating out of his bag and trying to make sense of their surroundings before finding her seat between Nikolas’s ears as she fixed her gaze on the newcomers in front of them, “I have news, but first - what have you been up to?” she asked, looking down at the fox.

  “Trying to navigate an all-too-polite redhead’s learning…” Nikolas shook his head to dethrone the doll off of himself as he stepped towards a corner of the hall for some solitude compared to the loud crowd in the middle. “Please tell me you know more about the mana bond thing.”

  “Not yet, unfortunately,” Sera shook her head, floating in front of him, “Has she shown any significant improvements yet? You should still continue training her because of what we know.” She added with a raised eyebrow, eagerness bleeding out in the form of emphasis.

  “The more time I spend with her, the more she will figure out,” Nikolas shot back in a whisper, annoyed by Sera’s sentiments, “She has me staying at her place already, so I’d appreciate it if you figured out more about our situation quickly.”

  “You’ve already moved in with her? Where’s that suave been hiding all this time, smooth guy?” Sera hummed, first surprised but then turning the tables on him with a tease. “You’ve never been that amiable with me in all our time together~” she joked.

  Nikolas flashed the tell-tale signs of protest, narrowing his eyes before simply letting out a sigh. “Don’t. Just don’t.” He said, swatting the doll away as he walked past, looking for Clarisse within the crowd but unable to find her.

  Sera let out a smug laugh at his response to her little jest, floating high up to the ceiling to spot Clarisse on the other side of the hall, talking to the robe-clad pyromancer. “Seems you might have some competition, hmm? She’s on the other side.” she reported, finding her seat on his shoulder as he crossed the hall.

  Clarisse seemed to be all-too engrossed in her conversation with the glittering, golden-haired mage to notice Nikolas approach them until he placed a hand on her shoulder, “Oh! Mr. Kaara, this is Nik – he’s my adventuring partner! And that’s Sera!” She introduced the two enthusiastically, first gesturing towards the fox and then his doll.

  Nikolas only graced the pyromancer with a nod, keeping his eyes trained on him. “Good morning, Mr. Kaara. What brings you here?” he questioned, his eyes temporarily darting to the quest board, which seemed quite full of available jobs at the moment.

  “Oh, we’ve just been traveling for a long time- thought we could use some rest for a few days, maybe pick up a quest if there was anything for our rank, and then move on.” Kaara said, his face plastered with a grin from ear to ear as his gaze shifted between the two adventurers and rested on Clarisse. “Speaking of, finding another pyromancer is always great!”

  “Right, you must be tired from your travels,” Nikolas interjected, subtly pulling Clarisse away by her shoulder. “We’ll leave you be and go get our own-.” he began, before being interrupted.

  “Actually, I asked him if he could train me while he’s here!” Clarisse said with a smile full of hope, looking at him for approval. “Since he’s also a pyromancer…”

  “And I’d be delighted to!” Kaara erupted into a bout of joyful laughter, raising both his hands to place them on the shoulders of either adventurer. “Of course, you’re welcome to join us too. Ciela might take some convincing to teach anyone, but I can put in a good word for you!”

  “We’re busy today,” Nikolas immediately backed away from the mage’s grasp, gradually increasing his pull on Clarisse as he did. “Sorry we bothered you, but that’s not what she needs right now.” His refusal broke the tone of the hall’s camaraderie with stark contrast to everyone, along with earning the ire of many nearby.

  “But-” Clarisse began, but decided to shut up upon feeling Nikolas’s seriousness suddenly skyrocket. She couldn’t pin how she felt it despite his eyes and his grip remaining the same, but there was definitely a subconscious feeling helping her read him through the mask in that moment.

  “I’m sorry, what?” Kaara asked, raising his eyebrows and volume as he stepped forward to close the gap between him and the rogue, whose ears were the only reason their heights were comparable. “She doesn't need my guidance? That’s not a way to talk back to a gold rank.” The hall fell into a sort of hush as everyone’s attention diverted to them.

  “We can train on our own just fine. If you’ll let us go now, we’ll be on our way.” Nikolas rephrased without skipping a beat, looking up at the golden haired mage with the same vitriol that was directed towards him.

  “No, actually I won’t. Who are you anyway, daring to refuse the help I’ve offered to her so graciously?” Kaara continued to antagonize the kitsune, a sly smile appearing on his lips as he saw the bronze’s demeanor remain static. There was a moment of silence among everyone as neither of them spoke, just staring at each other.

  “Break it up, you two!” Came a shout from the other side of the hall, making everyone divert their attention past the bar table where the lithe elf stood, placing an empty mug under the table before crossing past it.

  “There will be no fighting in the hall- if you have anything to sort out, take it to the arena in the back,” Felis dictated, cutting through the crowd and walking up to them. “So, how about it? There shall be drinks for the spectators.” His statement earned an immediate cheer from the crowd around him and only served to make Nikolas’s ears drop flat against his head.

  “Hah! A fitting method,” Kaara smirked, earning an eye roll from the rogue in his party and a worried look from Clarisse but cheers from everyone else. “Come on then, that’ll be your lesson for the day.” he goaded Nikolas, before following Felis’s subtle gesture and heading to the back.

  Clarisse seemed mortified by everything which had just unfolded, reaching out for Nikolas’s arm to apologize. “I didn’t mean for this to happen- sorry! You don’t have to do this, let’s just go…” she tried to convince him.

  “Hahaha- ” Sera responded for him first with a hearty laugh as the rest of the interested crowd began filing towards the backrooms. “Oh, don’t apologize dear. You’re fine. This should be fun to watch.”

  “Yeah…” Nikolas replied, though his tone seemed completely devoid of any energy or enthusiasm. “Don’t sweat it. This isn’t unusual as far as adventurers go.” he added, following the crowd.

  Witnessing everything go down from her desk, Rika took off her glasses and raised her eyebrows, getting up as the pair walked past her desk into the back. “I’ll admit that I’ve always wanted to see you fight, Nik. You’ve taken on quests worth entire parties on your own, but how do you think you’ll fare against an actual gold rank?” she asked in a whimsical tone.

  “We’ll see…” Nikolas shrugged, much to the horror of his redhead companion as they followed Felis’s lead into the central atrium of the massive guild building - a stone arena resembling a coliseum – it seemed conveniently hidden from the rest of the city by virtue of being surrounded by guild buildings on all four sides.

  “We only use this for the guild’s annual reviews usually,” Rika explained as she walked alongside them. “Little bouts like these are the only exciting things to happen all year.”

  “You’re not gonna count that impromptu quest among the fun things?” Sera asked, floating over to Clarisse’s shoulder and glancing at the receptionist.

  “Gosh no! Those were the longest days of my work here…” Rika sighed, taken aback by the doll’s humor. “Anyway, I’ll be making the announcements, so find a spot to sit down quickly!”

  “Are you sure you want to do this? We could still undo all this if you agreed with me training under him…” Clarisse mumbled to Nikolas, worried about what was about to happen based on the proud pyromancer standing menacing in the middle of the arena waiting for them to arrive.

  Nikolas took off his backpack, meeting her eyes for just a moment before handing his bag to her and speaking his decision. “Don’t blink.”

  Clarisse felt a shiver run up her spine as she heard his words, the plain, apathetic tone coupled with his blank, mismatched eyes left her with a lingering knot in her stomach as she watched him descend into the arena. For just a moment, she felt afraid – not for Nikolas, but for the pyromancer facing him.

  Thank you for reading!

  If you liked this chapter, please consider leaving

  a comment, rating or review on my story!